Top 10 Worst-Selling Albums of the ’90s

What are the Top 10 Worst-Selling Albums of the '90s? There were so many bad albums in the '90s, it's hard to discern the top 10 worst-selling albums of the '90s. The albums listed below failed to sell enough copies to be RIAA certified (which means each sold less than 500,000 copies). Some of these may surprise you, as they are releases by otherwise successful bands. Others are bands that are long forgotten, if they were ever even on the radar.

"Unusual Heat"-Foreigner: The band's 1991 release, the first with their new lead singer (Johnny Edwards, replacing the departed Lou Gramm), was their worst-selling album ever. It only reached #117 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The single from the album, "Low Down and Dirty," did manage to hit number 4. Gramm returned to the band after this flop, one of the worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Family Affair"-MC Hammer: Hammer's 1998 release, his first on EMI Records, did poorly, selling between 100,000 to 500,000 copies. It was heavily promoted as a Gospel record, and featured no charting singles, helping make it one of the worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Cyberpunk"-Billy Idol: Idol's 1993 album tried to capitalize on the fascination with all things cyber at the time, but sold less than 500,000 copies. It reached #48 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. but fell off the charts in seven weeks.

"$19.99"-M.O.T.: Also known as Members of the Tribe, M.O.T. consisted of Ice Berg and Dr. Dreidle and released their album $19.99 in 1998. The group was supposed to be a Jewish hip-hop duo and the album featured puns galore. This wasn't enough to sell records, however, and the album takes its place among the Top 10 worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Hating Brenda"-Rump: Magazine editors Kerin Morataya and Darby Romeo released an entire techno-grunge album in 1993 detailing how much they hated the fictional character Brenda Walsh from the television show "Beverly Hills 90210." No one cared, the album failed to chart or sell many copies, and is now only known for being one of the worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"No Talking Just Head"-The Heads: Made in 1996 by the remaining members of the Talking Heads after lead singer David Byrne left, this album featured different lead singers on each track, including Michael Hutchence and Johnette Napolitano. It did not do well, however, fading into obscurity and ending up one of the worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Open Wide"-Minty: Minty's 1997 release tried to marry British art-pop with glam-rock, producing forgettable club music rich with expletives . Lead singer Leigh Bowery died before the record had a chance to be released. The band says they will release a new single soon, and hopefully it will fare better than this release, one of the worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Son of Albert"-Andrew Ridgeley: Released in 1990 by half of Wham!, this album heavy on drums and guitar did not result in success. It reached 130 on the Billboard 200 album chart but failed to sell enough records (500,000) to become RIAA-certified, which is why it is on the list of the top 10 worst-selling albums of the '90s.

"Hard to Swallow"-Vanilla Ice: The white rapper's 1998 release failed to chart in the US and did not revive his career as the record company had hoped. The album consisted of "skate rock," fusing heavy metal, hip-hop and punk rock. It's one of the worst-selling albums of the decade.

"In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy"-Pat Boone: Boone's 1997 release, a cover of heavy metal classics, actually charted at 125 on the Billboard 200 album chart, but didn't sell 500,000 copies. Featuring Boone's covers of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Smoke on the Water," and "Panama," the album was ridiculed by critics and the music-buying public.